Midmorning ceased broadcast on February 20, 2012 and was replaced by The Daily Circuit.

Minnesota Public Radio Stories

When drug trials go awryOver the past few years, pharmaceutical research has become more commercialized and market-driven. For two bioethicists, that raises questions about the quality of the data in drug trials, and the safety of the participants in those trials.9:06 a.m.

Guests

Carl Elliott: Professor in the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of "White Coat, Black Hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine."

Newsmaker: Israeli and Palestinian leaders to meet at the White HousePresident Obama is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House tomorrow, the first direct talks between the two parties since Obama entered office. While expectations are low, the White House hopes they'll mark a renewed attempt at a long-elsuive peace.9:45 a.m.

Guests

Ellen Laipson: president and CEO of the Stimson Center. She was vice chair of the National Intelligence Council from 1997 to 2002.

Scientists search for extraterrestrial lifeNASA scientists have found two new planets that revolve around the same star using their Kepler satellite. They're so large that they appear to be the size of Saturn.10:06 a.m.

Guests

Bill Borucki: is principal investigator for NASA's Kepler mission.

Seth Shostak: is Senior Astronomer at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) institute and author of "Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" (march 2009).